Commerce, a Source of Wealth

River Gods

A man leaning on an overflowing vase, a reed in hand: this is the classical Antique personification of a river. But how should the female figure of this mosaic be interpreted ? Is it a source or a river ? Should local connections to the mosaic be sought ? Or does the aquatic theme stand alone: the fertilizing water, so rare in the Mediterranean world, the nourishing river, and here the source of economic wealth through river commerce ? Vienne, exploratory dig of Gère, 1981.

Reconstruction of a Ship

As the northern boundary of the Gallic province of Narbonnaise, Vienne was directly linked to the Mediterranean basin by the Rhône Valley. Through this major hub the Empire transported an enormous volume of merchandise between the Northern provinces (Gallia, Germania, Brittany), and the Mediterranean. Lyon was the central point of this network. Seafaring ships came up to Arles. Further on, the Rhône and Saône transports were in the hands of powerful navigation companies, the nautes, whose offices were in Lyon. This boat carrying a shipment of amphorae, a replica of a port embarkation discovered in Toulon, evokes the trade in three staples of the Roman diet: olive oil ; garum, a condiment made of fish; and wine.

Pedestal of L.H. Frugus, Viennois Entrepreneur and Magistrate of Vienne

This pedestal supported the statue of an important figure, the Viennois Lucius Helvius Frugus, navigation manager of the Rhône and Saône. He oversaw one of Lyon's powerful navigation corporations. He also spent a year serving as one of the duumvirs of the city of Vienne. These two magistrates, like the consuls of Rome, were at the head of municipal administration. Courtesy of the Gallo-Roman Museum of Lyon-Fourvière.

Model of Viennois Warehouses

These gigantic warehouses covered at least 5 hectares (12.5 acres). They were constituted of rows of large cells (32 m x 15 m) constructed on the banks of the Rhône. By size, they are among the largest of the Roman world. They were public buildings designed not for the city of Vienne, but for the stocking of merchandise destined for Rome. This was perhaps a part of the tax collected by the administration in the provinces of conquered Gaul, and the products were probably quite varied: cereals, wine, metals, wood, hides...

Floor in Marble Tiles (opus sectile)

During the first centuries of the era, numerous marble quarries were exploited throughout the Mediterranean. These marbles were the base of a very active trade in marble blocks, but especially in floor tiling. This incomplete pavement (beginning of 3rd century AD) decorated a formal room of a house in Saint-Romain-en-Gal. It is made of plaques of marble violet from Téos (Asia Minor), and yellow marble from Numidia (today Tunisia), which were among the most expensive in the Empire.

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> Four Centuries of History

> The Thousand and One Vocations of the City

> Colorful Houses

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